Huitlacoche Tamales

Name: Huitlacoche Tamales (Tamales de Huitlacoche)
Yield: Makes 20 to 24 tamales
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds (910 g) fresh corn masa or 6 cups (780 g) instant corn masa flour such as Maseca; Oaxacan Avocado Cream; 1 (6-ounce/170-g) package dried cornhusks; 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 g) Oaxaca cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, pulled or cut into ½-ounce (15-g) rectangular strips; ¼ cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable or chicken stock; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced; 1 pound (455 g) fresh huitlacoche (see Notes) or 3 (7-ounce/200-g) cans huitlacoche; 1 cup (205 g) lard or vegetable shortening, melted and cooled slightly; 2 tablespoons canola oil; ⅓ cup (40 g) finely diced red onion; 1 large garlic clove, minced; 5 cups (1.2 L) vegetable or chicken stock (if using instant corn flour); 1½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 tablespoon salt; Crispy Pork Chicharrón; Cactus Salsa

Tamales de Huitlacoche

Preparation info

Makes
20 to 24
tamales

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Claudia's Cocina

By Claudia Sandoval

Published 2016

About

While growing in popularity in authentic Mexican restaurants in the United States, huitlacoche has yet to truly gain the respect it deserves. Known as the truffle of Mexican cooking (and also known as corn smut, a fungus that grows on corn), when cooked correctly and seasoned appropriately, this unseemly ingredient can truly be one of the most delicious delicacies around.

I served this as my finale appetizer as a way of both embracing the cuisine of Mexico and speaking to the